The Ezra Year : Hardwiring Soul Care into Your Org w/ David Zimmerman

The Ezra Year : Hardwiring Soul Care into Your Org w/ David Zimmerman

In this episode of Soul Care Conversations, host Mindy Caliguire sits down with David Zimmerman, publisher at NavPress, to discuss the intersection of leadership, organizational identity, and personal soul care. David shares the journey of leading NavPress through an "Ezra Year" of restoration and explains how "The Message" paraphrase of the Bible continues to shape their mission today.* Episode Chapters 00:00 – Behind the scenes and setup 01:41 – Welcome David Zimmerman, Publisher at NavPress 03:41 – The history and mission of NavPress 06:49 – Connecting with The Message Bible 14:23 – Finding yourself: Insights from The Message 18:48 – The dangers of comparison in leadership 23:02 – Announcement: *Ignite Your Soul* now in Spanish 26:52 – Navigating identity: The "Ezra Year" at NavPress 32:27 – Bold, Loving, and Sensible: A new tagline 37:46 – Leading through crisis: Global supply chains and contracts 42:32 – Overcoming isolation: Therapy, coaching, and spiritual direction 48:42 – Standing fearless on the "Cliff Edge of Doom" 52:27 – The power of play: From sitcom readings to the ukulele 56:45 – Closing thoughts and book giveaway Resources Mentioned Book: Ignite Your Soul by Mindy Caliguire. https://www.soulcare.com/ignite-your-soul Spanish Edition: Enciende tu Alma.https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Mindy-Caliguire/dp/B0FD7R14KB Bible Translation: The Message by Eugene Peterson.https://messagebible.com/ NavPress: The publishing ministry of The Navigators.https://www.navpress.com/ Church Connect: Resource for churches to purchase books in bulk.https://www.church-connect.com/ Connect with the Guest David Zimmerman: Find him on LinkedIn for his weekly "Monday in The Message" posts. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-zimmerman-6410a03/ NavPress: Visit (http://NavPress.com) or follow them on social media.

How a Leader’s Body Signals Spiritual Fear w/ Jason Malec

In this episode, host Mindy Caliguire is joined by longtime friend and advisor Jason Malec to discuss the deep integration of spiritual formation and leadership. Jason shares his personal journey from a Catholic upbringing to a period of severe deconstruction during seminary, and his eventual move into church planting and leading major non-profits. The conversation explores the manifestation of fear and stress in a leader's life, the power of breath prayer, and a thoughtful perspective on how AI can be used for human flourishing. 00:00 Introduction to SoulCare Conversations 05:30 Jason’s Journey into Ministry and Early Faith 10:10 Deconstruction in Seminary: The Metaphor of Dangling Garments 14:48 Finding Safe Spaces for Doubt and Prayer 19:07 Four Phases of Spiritual Development 22:20 The Power of Breath Prayer and the Jesus Prayer 25:22 Creating Safe Places for Seekers 27:23 The Physical Manifestation of Leadership Stress and Fear 33:02 AI and Faith: Confronting the Singularity and Existential Fear 37:52 Redemptive Technology: AI as a Mirror of Human Character 41:11 The Future of AI in Human Flourishing and Disease Correction 42:59 Trusted Resources for Faith and Technology 45:16 Connecting with God through Sacred Pathways 49:30 Closing Remarks and Contact Information Resources Mentioned Thomas Merton’s Prayer:A prayer about the comfort of not knowing everything and the desire to please God being enough.https://reflections.yale.edu/article/seize-day-vocation-calling-work/merton-prayer Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas: A book exploring the diverse ways individuals connect with God (e.g., naturalist, intellectual, activist).https://garythomas.com/books/sacred-pathways/ The Jesus Prayer: A traditional breath prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Prayer Links & Connections Jason Malec: You can connect with Jason at ide8.org or find him on LinkedIn, where he is currently running a series on AI and human flourishing. Jeremy Utley: For more on technology and faith, visit jeremyutley.com or listen to his podcast (details available in his web resources). SoulCare Conversations: Join the mailing list for weekly scripture engagement and guidance.

When a T-Bone Collision Becomes a Divine Reset w/ ECFA

For nearly 50 years, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has served as the "gold standard" for donor trust among Christian organizations. However, a new crisis of confidence is emerging that goes beyond financial numbers to focus on the health of the leaders themselves. In this episode, the President and CEO of ECFA and the Senior VP of Member Accountability discuss the groundbreaking Excellence in Leader Care Standard. They share personal journeys, from life-altering accidents to the "messy middle" of organizational change which led to the realization that the health of an organization is inseparable from the health of its senior leader. 00:00 – Introduction to the intersection of spiritual formation and leadership. 01:58 – The 50-year legacy of ECFA and the "blue seal of trust". 03:57 – Origin story: How Billy Graham and other leaders formed ECFA to address a national crisis of confidence. 06:21 – Adopting a redemptive posture: Moving from "policing" to coaching and building up the church. 08:51 – The heart behind the mission: Why accountability accelerates the gospel.14:16 – Breaking down the Excellence in Leader Care Standard: Requiring boards and leaders to co-create annual care plans. 18:15 – Biblical foundations and practical commentary for holistic leader care. 20:51 – "As the leader goes, so goes the organization": Why leadership health is the foundation of integrity. 27:51 – Resilience in the "messy middle": Staying the course through organizational change. 34:02 – Michael Martin on hitting the wall and finding God’s strength in weakness. 41:56 – Jake Lapp’s T-Bone moment: When a physical crisis forced a new reliance on the Creator. 50:31 – The "Trickle-Down" effect: How board-level care for a CEO transforms the entire staff culture. 56:11 – Shifting from legal preparation to speaking from the heart. Resources Mentioned ECFA Official Website: https://www.ecfa.org 10Leader Care Standard: https://www.ecfa.org/leadercare Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecfaccountability/

Spiritual Direction as Sacred Space for Staff Health w/ Randy Cochran

Mindy Caliguire sits down with Randy Cochran to discuss the "jet fuel" world of high-capacity leadership and the essential, often overlooked, "candlelight" work of soul care. Randy shares his personal journey from a place of professional success but deep internal desperation to finding a sustainable, integrated life with God.Together, they explore what it means to lead a staff toward health, the significance of spiritual direction, and why every leader is ultimately responsible for the condition of their own soul. Whether you are leading a large organization or simply trying to navigate a fast-paced life, this conversation offers practical wisdom for moving from "organizational anorexia" to holistic flourishing.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Victory Church (Atlanta): victoryatl.comSoul Care Resources: Strengthening Our Souls (SOS)https://www.soulcare.com/pathways/str... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbU12SWlkR1VIVUZTcDR2clJPY2FmalByeThKZ3xBQ3Jtc0trRWFucnp6NEwySFc3eHNJLXBsWWluOXRISGdRVFQ2NXFqNGpoQ2M0Mmd3YWw2TU9NNDVDaFlzMUhMWE0wbm9id29KRFZfNThWOFZ1WGY1OFBOVGFwblVteWdXUHlVTXpQUUEzU3dtN3lDaXREWV80WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soulcare.com%2Fpathways%2Fstrengthening-our-souls&v=fUKQcZA-RJQ]Books:The "Surrender to Love" trilogy by David Benner.Works by Henri Nouwen.Leadership & Wellness:Steve Cuss (Managing Leadership Anxiety).ECFA Standards for Excellence in Leader Care.Key Moments:00:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=43s] - Overseeing high-capacity teams in a "jet fuel" environment.06:34 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=394s] - Leading out of desperation vs. inspiration.09:02 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=542s] - Lessons from a first sabbatical.11:41 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=701s] - Taking responsibility for your own soul care.27:12 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=1632s] - The concept of "structural integrity" in leadership.32:46 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=1966s] - Introducing spiritual direction as a staff benefit.51:48 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUKQcZA-RJQ&t=3108s] - A vision for integrated, mature believers in the workplace.

Writing for the Soul w/ Shawn Smucker

In this episode of SoulCare Conversations, Mindy Caliguire is joined by author, bookstore owner, and longtime friend of SoulCare, Shawn Smucker. They discuss Shawn’s diverse career as a writer and entrepreneur, and explore how he maintains the well-being of his soul amidst the challenges of life and business.Topics Covered:The Power of Books: Shawn shares his lifelong love for reading and his belief in the unique, intimate impact a well-written book can have on a person's life compared to other forms of media.Facing "Soul Crashes": Shawn opens up about a particularly suffocating season in 2014 when the pressures of managing a new business, raising six children, and experiencing family loss led him to a breaking point.Practices for Resilience: To navigate difficult times, Shawn relies on the strength of his local community and a consistent daily habit of physical handwriting in a journal to process his concerns.The Journey to Becoming a Writer: Shawn discusses his transition to full-time writing in 2009, his experience with co-writing and ghostwriting, and the inspiration behind his first novel, The Day the Angels Fell.Creativity and Soul Care: The conversation touches on the importance of creating without being fixated on outcomes, treating the first draft like a personal journal entry to serve one's own soul rather than just commercial success.Building Community Through Independent Bookstores: Shawn shares the story of purchasing "Nooks" and the vital role physical bookstores play in fostering cross-cultural conversations and "co-regulating" in a disembodied digital age.Shawn's Substack: https://substack.com/@shawnsmuckerBookstore: Nooks Gallery (Instagram: @noooooks)Support Local Bookstores: bookshop.org/shop/nooks